Thursday, August 19, 2010

Why One Should Not Cease Teaching and Writing

"Preach the word, be instant in season, one of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and doctrine." 2 Tim. 4:2
If you  consider how earnestly God enforces his holy word, you would sincerely fear God, and ever abide in his commands. No one can escape them. If we do not desire grace, light, truth, righteousness, salvation, true religion, life, the kingdom, blessings and God himself, we must, by his righteousness judgment, doubtlessly inherit disgrace, darkness, falsehood, unrighteousness and idolatry--and hereafter eternal damnation, death, hell, malediction, and the devil himself.
So for the sake of Christ and the church, you must not hold your tongue, but must tell the truth, let righteousness go forth as a light, and their salvation burn as a torch, and that thus all mankind may acknowledge the righteousness of the Lord, and all tongues, generations, and people confess his glory.
Outside of his divine word there is no salvation, therefore one cannot be silent; for the honor and praise of God are at stake, and it avails the salvation of a brother.
First reason to write is that we desire, according to God--that no bishop, pastor, or teacher be permitted into the chruch of God and teach and administer the sacrements of the Lord, other than those who are comprised in the doctrine, ordinance and life of Christ.
Secondly, that we desire, even at the cost of life and blood--to preach and teach the holy gospel of Christ through all the world with ardent hearts. (Matt. 28:19, Mk. 16:15).
Thirdly to seek, teach, and desire a true faith and Christian life conformable to the doctrine of Christ and his apostles. 
Fourthly, to teach and seek a right Christian baptism--first with spirit and fire (Lk. 3:16) afterward in the water, in obedience to faith, to receive remission of sins--for thus has Christ Jesus commanded all the believing--and thus the apostles administered and taught it.
Fifthly to seek and desire a woman's role in the church, home, and public.
Sixthly, to abolish strange ceremonies and manners of worship which are without the word of God that the ignorant populace may no longer be deceived by vain works which are nothing short of idolatry--but that they may put their faith in the living God and his son, Jesus, that they walk in his divine commandment, not varying to the right or the left; for in him is life everlasting, (Jn. 12:50) and in none other.
Seventh, we desire to teach that all magistrates, emperors, kings, dukes, counts, barons, mayors, knights and other officers may be taught and trained by the spirit and word of God, that they may sincerely seek, honor, fear, and serve Christ Jesus, the true head of all lords and rulers--that they may rightly administer their office, and use the sword given them of God, in his fear and in brotherly love, to the praise of God, to the protection of the good and to the punishment of evil, according to the intent of the word of God, (Rm. 13:3 and 1 Peter 2:13) as did the men of God as Moses, Joshua, David, Josiah, and others. Read Deut. 17:2,3 and you will understand what God has commanded all magistrates to do.
Eighth, to teach and desire such a supper as Christ himself instituted and administered (Matt. 16:19, Mk. 14:22, & Luke 22:19).
We also teach the true love and fear of God, the true love of our neighbor, to aid and assist all mankind and to injure none; to crucify the flesh and its lusts; to circumcise the heart, mouth, and the whole body with the knife of the Divine Word, of unclean thoughts, unbecoming words and actions. Now consider whether these things are not the will of God, the true doctrine of Christ, ad the true life which is of God--although the gates of hell may willfully oppose them. The eternal word of God will remain immutable forever.

Tuesday, August 17, 2010

Home as the Greenhouse

People seem to not really see babies as helpless, dependent little people. They beleive they were born to be shoved out into the world--they actually think they ought to be shoved into it as soon as possible so they can grow and mature more quickly. Supposedly children can handle the world on their own without their parents. Parents believe that they should not control their child's environment and their duty to give their children over to teachers, peers, and public education, which decides their environment. This is supposedly for superior than the "old-fashioned" rearing and raising by the parents themselves.
Deuteronomy 6:7 describes the parents to "teach them diligently;" the entire Bible has descriptions of the home being the "greenhouse for young plants. Psalm 128:3 and Psalm 144:12 speak of children as plants nurtured at the house and about the table. These two Psalms also speak of a blessed  mother and a blessed nation. The family and nation that rasies children in a Christian environment at home will be blessed.

Children will preform how they were raised once grown. Whatever they had most around them will stay as permanent memories that affect the decisions and morals of their lives.
Instead of values of diligence, respect, appreciation of Christianity, purity, modesty, and etc...we will have whatever were the influences at the school---drunkenness, laziness, gluttony, fornication, deceitfulness,  runners of mischief, bitterness, disrespect. They become the product of the environment their parents carelessly and thoughtlessly placed them in.
When in a green house, children will mature and become REALLY independent. They will have strong characters formed by saturation  in God's word and the sight of it in your life. You will have given them roots and wings.

Friday, August 13, 2010

Possessions Speak

What do our homes say to others? Did it confer to them the impression that we want them to see of a godly, Christian home, that looks like Christ's children live there--is it an atmosphere  of "home" where others can feel welcome?
If you were away and strangers stopped in--could they tell you were Christians? Could they feel Christ's presence?
If Christ himself were to step in would you feel at ease to show him your house? How would you answer of he pointed at something and asked "Why?"
I am not speaking of dust and dirt--but things--possessions...what is it that we hang on the walls? What do we place on the side tables? What is it that is on the counters?
Our homes definitely say something about who we are--but let them speak of the things that make them a "home" where families can grow physically and  spiritually and not just be a place of "pretty walls."  

Wednesday, August 11, 2010

It is a good thing to give thanks to the Lord...

"Sing praises unto thy name, O most High." Psalm 92:1
How infrequently we give thanks for the overflowing goodness from the Lord's hand! It is refreshing to behold a thankful heart, full of joy and awe of God--his simple and sincere love for us--and the lovely creation he places around us--not just the creation in plants and shrubs, or the star-filled heavens, or the glorious mountains--but also the most special creations of simple things that bring peace to our minds when we choose to dwell on them, contemplating how God is everywhere...you can pick anything, and find something of our Father's world in it.
And must our praise and thanks to the Lord always be hemmed in with our limited language of "A's" and "B's"?  No word can describe the ecstasy in my soul when I see something beautiful, simply in my heart I am bursting with thanksgiving and happiness, but with no words to scream out in joy but a silent music playing gleefully in my heart.
When one is enduring trials and temptations--thanksgiving can be very difficult to commit to with our bitter and tried hearts. How can we truly be thankful with such feelings? if our faith is strong enough, it decides if everything is going to be alright and "that decision of faith eternity will soon confirm." ~Judson. Trials usually occur because of choices we have made--there are different kinds of trials for every choice--if one is to decide according to God's word we can trust the trail is for our good and will help us to grow.
There is NOT a trial that God doesn't give for our good. "For whom the Lord loveth he chastenth..." (Heb. 12:6) it is for our profit (vs.10). It is by no means joyous to suffer...but there is no trial that we are not able to endure--for God is faithful, "Who will not suffer you to be tempted above that which ye are able." (I Cor. 10:13).
If we walk with God--to have him as a Friends--to turn to him in trouble--to follow him is obedience and trust that His guidance is pure--to share our dreams and toils with Him--then we are able to find joy and thankfulness. It is this type of companionship that helps endure without bitterness or hurting to affect our courage and trust in Him. We certainly are not immune to suffering--but our relationship with God is.
"Cast all your care upon Him; for he careth for you." I Pet. 5:7

Tuesday, August 10, 2010

Simply Trust, Simply Obey


Take no thought of tomorrow--for God will take care of tomorrow. It is none of our concern--our lives are entirely dedicated to God's way and will, and we are united with Him in the way He wants to go.
When something interrupts us--our lives should become so simply aimed that God's interruptions become welcome. If our goal is complex, full of concerns and worry, the peace of Christ is destroyed, and we loose focus of pleasing Him. Nothing on earth should interrupt our goal to please Him.
We must "weed out" and die to our worldly desires and goals if we are to keep the Lord's plans and goals for us. We make our lives so unnecessarily difficult by disobeying Jesus Christ's demand the we take no thought of tomorrow. (Matt. 6:34).
We must surrender our planning to Him--it is His job, worrying about tomorrow brings us no-where. God gives us daily bread and blessings daily, not weekly. The Lord gives us strength according to our days, not years.
We need to keep that one thing necessary continually before us in our hearts, minds, and souls, and that is seeking to trust and obey God. Simply trusting that this is what God wishes, and trusting with our whole heart, and obeying in a manner pleasing to Him.
Our worldly life is not felt by God--he only know how he wishes it to be used for his kingdom--if we are full of worries, plans, and concerns--we cannot be used towards His goals, for worldly goals are continual crowd our lives and days, and not one con be devoted to His will or the interruption is too large.
Simply trust and obey--surrender all, give all, hope for nothing, pray continually, seek nothing--except the will of God--make His will yours, for ours has no gain, on blessings--only worry and concern, and His will is good and perfect, conform and become one with Christ.

Monday, August 9, 2010

Surrendering All

There are reasons God wishes for a surrender in our lives--obviously it must be for our benefit, for nothing is with a reason when it is the will of God. The will of God surpasses all human understanding, and it takes trust to let go of all desire and sacrifice to accomplish whatever is acquired. Our earthly travails, troubles and suffering are a part of God's plan to combine a lesson on a small or larger scale, depending on the sacrifice.
Surrendering requires humility, considering there are other who are better in more things than we. It takes discipline to remain on that uncomfortable stand, and experience in the act of suffering and submission. To accept this is God's work in action, your life taking a form in His hands that holds the clay, who knows the perfect structure you need.
What exactly, must we surrender? "Everyone that hath forsaken houses, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands for my name's sake..." (Matt. 19:29) our bodies, our family, our hopes, dreams, our most secret plans,our clothes, our speech, our writing--ALL to God, his work, his plan, his destination; our ways mean nothing to him--we must model our lives as he directs us.
How so we find such perfect directions-where do we find it but in God's Holy Word--we must soak ourselves in it, reading, reading, reading, constantly, so we may know how to take our situations that come along day by day and take God's way to dealing with it--also, when we cannot find an answer, seek it our through prayer and quiet meditation on Him.
When we surrender everything we have, we must also surrender our friendships--our company and surroundings influence us in a deceitful way--we grow numb to what we see and begin to accept it as "the norm." We cannot not always change our surroundings, but let us not let them change us.
Following Christ's footsteps--what an awesome responsibility and opportunity to try and Imitate! If we fall or stray even by a strand off that goal of his plan, then we must try to gain root of why we are on that strand, we loose focus and begin to despair of forget, we have no example to follow it seems, we are alone, and it seems the other path looks correct, until too late--we fall, we fail, and we grieve when brought face to face again with the path of that strand--we don't know how much to do--the answer is EVERYTHING--do everything--exceed your expectations and go the mile that others won't take because it's too risky--and do it with all your heart, soul, and mind.

The Simmons Family

The Simmons Family